This invention relates generally to devices for collecting solar energy and more particularly relates to devices for tracking the sun to collect the maximum solar energy for converting it to heating purposes. There are presently numerous devices available in the art for tracking the sun called heliostats for concentration of the sun's rays on an object to be activated thereby, such as photovoltaic semi-conductor devices normally known as solar cells. There are also devices known for collecting the heat from solar energy in a fluid for conversion to heat houses, structures, swimming pools, and the like. These latter devices are generally in the form of large panels having numerous pipes for circulating water which are in the direct path of the sun's rays. Some of the devices are laid out on the roof of a house or a patio cover and cover a relatively large surface area to collect as much of the solar energy as possible. Most of these devices are relatively inefficient because a black body raised to higher temperature than ambient reradiates the heat back to the atmosphere before it can be stored in an insulated tank in the form of a circulating fluid that has been warmed by passing through the black body.
It has been proposed by one prior art system to concentrate the sun's energy on a fluid containing pipe in order to collect the maximum amount of solar energy. This proposal, however, contemplates concentrating the energy on the fluid by adjusting mirrors which reflect the sunlight on the fluid conduit. This device keeps the pipe circulating the fluid stationary while adjusting mirrors in relation to the sun's rays to concentrate the sun's rays on the pipe containing the fluid. A disadvantage of this type of device is that a single small section of pipe containing fluid requires a large number of mirrors to concentrate sufficient solar energy on it.